As for overclocking, most e8400's i've seen (despite them being a few years old), manage 3.6 without issue if given a little more juice (i give mine 1.375v for 400*9).

I top it out at around 3.8 though, as it just will not go further, but obviously, some manage 4.0 easily, and others as we saw in the earlier days, managed 4.5 on air.

They really do benefit from being pushed, simply because as a pure 2-core chip (i.e. no Hyperthreading for extra logical cores), the speed gives that extra boost. I know in SupCom for example (the original one, with the 3GB large header addressing fix) that the difference really shows when you're running 4 CPU players and getting close to the 2500 total unit mark.

Be aware that although they are still decent chips, anything released after it with more than 2 cores will wipe the floor with it.

Hey, I'm just happy that after 5½ hours of changing everything out while paying extra attention to cable management that everything works!!!
Fired right up the first time...
I was afraid that this new CPU cooler wasn't going to be able to fit inside the case with the side on & I was right! It needs an extra 3/4 of an inch width wise...
So I'm going to have to do a little cutting on the side panel & have the top stick through which will look cool with the blue lit top!

Right now I've got the CPU clocked at 3.6GHz & this cooler is keeping it at +6 degrees F over ambient room temps (82F) & doesn't move! Not even under full load!
Yes, CoreTemp is working as the temps with the Zalman 9700 were 10F hotter with the same settings!
So this cooler does a very good job at keeping this E8400 running nice & cool!
No matter what the new CPU's do compared to this one doesn't matter to me as it's a BIG upgrade from my previous CPU & that's enough for me & having a decent gaming machine!
I'm very pleased with this new PSU too!
I've never seen voltage readings so close before...
Way better than my 750w ToughPower, although that's still a good PSU compared to a cheap-O.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloasters

After making changes in a PC or building a brand new one, I never screw on the case cover before firing it up for the first time. Seems to be a very good policy! For one thing, the HDD Activity jumper is always on backwards.

Done & Done!!! Including stress testing, & testing the RAM for errors as well.
I took my time & made sure I didn't rush into any big F ups to where I'd have to undo a bunch of
stuff to get it right if I missed something, which of course I didn't!!!
I was praying the whole time too though (never hurts) that the PSU would also work like a brand new 90+ efficiency PSU which it did & does.
Whew!!! But yea, make sure everything works first...
I'm still amazed that the temps just sit there at 82F...Wow!
But this is a BIG cooler!